What started as a late-night fake-tag stop on Keck Road in Haw River ended with an alleged machine gun in the car, according to Alamance County deputies. Early Friday, around 1:10 a.m., deputies pulled over a vehicle after spotting what they say was a fictitious license plate and smelling marijuana coming from inside. During the stop, a small bag of marijuana reportedly fell from the passenger as he stepped out, and investigators say a search of the vehicle turned up a loaded handgun equipped with a machine-gun conversion device.
As reported by The Times‑News, the passenger was identified as 23-year-old Jakwan Edzavor Daye of Burlington, who deputies say was arrested on the spot. Daye was charged with felony possession of a firearm by a felon, felony possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and misdemeanors for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The driver, 27-year-old Jakyle Cincere Stokes of Yanceyville, was also taken into custody and faces multiple counts including communicating threats, possession of a controlled substance, driving while license revoked, and displaying a fictitious plate.
Machine-gun Conversion Devices And The Law
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has said that the small parts used to convert a semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon are treated as machine guns under federal law, and the agency has brought federal prosecutions built on those devices. Under the North Carolina General Assembly, state law also criminalizes possession of certain weapons and restricts firearm possession by people with prior felony convictions. Being caught with an illegal conversion device can bring stiff consequences under both state and federal law, including potential years in prison when federal counts are involved.
Local Enforcement And Rising Seizures
National reporting has documented a sharp rise in the number of machine-gun conversion devices turning up in recent years, prompting new state bans and more aggressive federal enforcement. The AP has reported that thousands of suspected conversion devices have been seized across the country. Locally, the sheriff’s office has previously highlighted routine traffic stops that escalated into felony firearm cases, underscoring how often guns surface during what begin as minor vehicle checks…